Kuwait: ICRC chairs meetings on missing persons

05-12-2012 News Release 12/241

Baghdad/Kuwait (ICRC) – In an effort to provide answers to families of people who went missing during the 1990 -1991 Gulf War, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) chaired a series of meetings in Kuwait on 3 and 5 December 2012.

"Determining the fate of people missing as a result of the 1990-1991 war remains vital, despite the years that have passed since the war ended," said Robert Mardini, the ICRC head of operations for the Near and Middle East, and Chairman of the Tripartite Commission.

During these meetings of the 77th Technical Sub-Committee and the 36th Tripartite Commission, representatives from Kuwait, the Iraqi ministry of human rights and the former Coalition (United States, United Kingdom, France and Saudi Arabia) exchanged data on places in Iraq and Kuwait where missing persons may be buried.

They also discussed ways of enhancing the gathering and analysis of information and the search process, with a view to obtaining conclusive information on unresolved cases.

"Families are still hoping to find out what happened to their missing relatives and we have to do our utmost to provide them with concrete answers," Mardini emphasized.

The Tripartite Commission and its Technical Sub-Committee were set up in 1991 and 1994 respectively. So far, this mechanism has helped establish the fate of more than 300 people who went missing in connection with the 1990-1991 Gulf War.